Pocket flashlight



Marh 2, 1943 E. zDANsKY 2,312,463

, FOCKET FLASHLIGHT Filed Feb. 3, 1941 /n vento/n' E WALD ZA/VS/(Y Patented Mar. 2, 1943 GFFICE POCKET FLASHLIGHT Ewald Zdansky, Gross-Glienicke, Germany;

vested in the Alien Property Custodian Application February 3, 1941, Serial No. 377,158

In Germany February 3, 1940 (ci. aio-10.6)

7 Claims.

The invention relates to battery-containing pocket flashlights, and is particularly concerned with structures of this type, wherein the source of current consists of a two-cell alkaline secondary battery of the type of the Edison accumulator.

The most important object of my invention consists in the provision ofy a flashlight of the character noted above, having novel and welltested means for preventing the leakage and seepage of the liquid electrolyte from the casing thereof in order to avoid corrosion of the casing and of the contacts, as well as the danger of destruction of articles of clothing of the user.

Another object of my invention resides in the provision of a light, handy and shock-proof pocket ashlight, which can be repeatedly recharged as a unit in its sealed unitary condition, and from which no electrolyte can flow to the outside even if such recharging is carried out by an unskilled person and without special supervision.

Other objects of the invention will be disclosed in the accompanying drawing and in the following description.

Fig. 1 shows an embodiment of the novel flashlight in side elevation, and partially in section to illustrate more clearly the parts essential for the invention; and

Fig. 2 is a. cross-section of the lamp on line I-I of Fig. 1.

'I'he tubular vessel or casing I which forms the outer walls of the new flashlight is made of lyeproof artificial material such for instance as vinylester-polymers or polystyrols. This vessel serves as a. holder for the battery and is separated by a partition 2 into two individually sealed separate cells. Each one of these cells contains a pair of electrodes 3, 4 or 3a, 4a, respectively, of an Edison accumulaton.4 which means that each cell contains an iron plate and a. nickel plate or an iron plate and a cadmium plate. A rivet 5, tightly' inserted in the partition 2 and to which the iron plate of the one cell or the nickel plate of the other cell are connected serves to connect the two cells in series. This rivet is preferably coated with an insulating varnish after the connection has been established. The electrode plates project somewhat above the level of the liquid electroylte for the purpose of reducing the tendency of the accumulator to give up gas during the charging thereof. In order to prevent the liquid electrolyte from splashing about in the interior of the vessel I, the space between the electrode plates and the Walls of each one of the two cells is lled by a packing 6 capable of retaining the electrolyte. This packing may consist, for instance, of wound glass fabric. Y y

The tubular vessel I is closed at the upper end by/a member 1 vtightly fixed, for instance, cemented on the outer wall of the vessel and on the central partition 2. This member may be in the shape of a round pot', the bottom of which serves as a lid for the vessel I. the lower part being subdivided into two chambers by a partition 8. In these chambers terminate tubes 9 and I0 which serve as Ventilating passages for the two accumulator cells and extend close to 'the upper edge of' the electrode plates 3 or 4a respectively. The admission openings of the two accumulator cells are tightly closed by screws II and I2.

In case the structure should be turned upside down only that portion of the electrolyte which is not retained by the packing 6 will collect upon the bottom wall of the member 1 around the tubular extensions 9 and I0 facing downwardly into the battery chamber of the vessel I. Liquid electrolyte can thus never flow out of these tubular extensions; only vapors of the electrolyte can escape through them.

In order to keep away these vapors from contact 'elements of the structure and to prevent escape towards the outside, `the two chambers, provided in the lower part of the member I in which chambers the Ventilating tubes 9 and I0 terminate, are filled with packings I3 and I4. These packings may consist for instance of impregnated, lye absorbing fabrics or stoppers of fibrous material; a stopper of cellulose wadding is usually sufficient.

If vapors or traces of condensed liquid electrolyte escape from the Ventilating tubes 9, I0, they are taken up by the packings I3, I4 and are completely retained therein. The partition 8 ensures then, that no electrolytic shunt to the two cells can be produced, even if the lower zones of the packings I3, I4 of filling mass might become slightly moist due to condensation of the vapors in the packings. The surfaces of the packings are covered by Ia. thin plate I5 of insulating material which may be perforated and may be clamped in position. A communication with the outside is thus established through the upper part of the member 1 which, if desired, may be pro--` vided with a hole I6, to keep the packing surfaces dry. These surfaces give up to the air only water vapor because the corrodlng constituents of the small quantities of electrob'te depositing in the packings I3, Il are absorbed or Achemically bound by these packings.

, the member 1.

thereof. This reilector 23 In order to charge the accumulator or the flashlight without opening the structure, it is advisv able to provide separate charging contacts on the outer wall thereof. These contacts may be.

the poles of the` arranged for engagement with charging apparatus through a suitable holder.

projecting from said nrst transverse partition downwardly into said lower compartment, a second transverse partition in said upper compartment forming a lower and an upper chamber therein, an absorbent packing disposed infsaid lower chamber, contact means disposed in saidv upper chamber and projecting laterally through the casing wall to the outside thereof, conductor means extending through said tubular extensions tached to theV open end of said upper compart- -ment for coaotion with said contact means.

` 2. The structure and combinationdeilned.in

The structure becomes especially simple. by ar- I ranging theseycharging contacts on the sides of the member 1. The lever 2B of the switch is best used directly to serve as one of the charging contacts. so that it is merely necessary to provide an additional single charging contact tor this purpose. This form of construction is illustrated by Fig. 1.

As can be seen, jects the lever oi the switch pro- This switch lever is made o! metaly and directly connected with the leady Il. The` second charging contact is provided bythe head of a pin 2I,'to which is welded the lead Il and the resilient end nect'ion with the socket plate oi the incandescent bulb 22. e

In order tok make the protecting packings Il, Il as well accessible and as easily exchangeable as possible it is advisable to make a structural unitoi the lamp casing, which contains the lens and the reflector and if desired also the lamp holder and the switch. This structural unit is clamped onto the upper end of the member 1 merely by means of casing in Fig. 1 therefore consists or the reilector 23` which at the center serves simultaneously as holder for the incandescent bulb 22 and terminates at the outer end in a bordered ringk which is inserted into the member 1 at the upper edge securely held in their position` by the resiliently inserted-meterme as. v Y, .y

In order to preventy cracking of the vessel I in case the iiashlight is accidentally dropped. it is advisable to mount a resilient metallic protecting cap 26 over the bottom or the vessel I. This protecting cap can also be used to cover the rudiment of the die casting bar 21 indicated in dash lines, which is produced in the casting oi the vessel I and may be cut on short without subsequent machining to smooth out the surface.

The use of the protecting cap 2t makesI it possible to construct the wall ot the vessel I relatively thin resulting ina light weight structure. I claim: 1. An electric lighting device comprising an elongated casing, a first transverse partition disposed in said casing and forming a closed lower and an open-ended upper compartment therein, a wet re-'chargeable battery disposed in said lower compartment, a plurality'oi tubular extensionsy of which produces the conelastic elements. The lamp' towards the right from the upper part of and the lensZL-,are-v' Y nrst Casing.' and for engagement with terminalsy of said battery and for engagement with said contact means,- and an electric lamp assemblage removably atclaim 1, together with` a partitionextending longitudinally' from said( second named tranverse partition downwardly through said lower chamber in the upper compartment and throughthe lower compartment and dividing said chamber and said compartment into two sections. one orv said tubular extensiorisprojecting from said nrst named partition downwardly into each section of. the lower compartment.

3. In combination, an elongated open-ended casing, a secondv open-ended casing havingsubstantially similar lateral dimensions as the iirstv casing nxed upon the' open end of said ilrst casing andl extending therefrom, the bottoxnwall oi said second casing forming a transverse member closing the open endoi said ynrst. casing, a transverse partition in said second casing. forming a bottom chamber therein. second casing above thebottom chamberthereoi,

a wet re-chargeable battery disposed in said closed nrst casing, conductor means extending from said battery through said transverse member to` said contracts, absorbent packing inthe bottom 'chamber or .said second casing, and an electric lamp` assemblage removably connectedv with the open end ofy said second casingy for coaction with said operative contact means.A a i 4. The combination and structure` defined inV claim 3. togetherwith re-charging contact me'ans on the outside wall of said secondfcaslng connecting with the operative contact means therein.

5. The combination detlned in claim 3. to-

gether with means for ventinggasesiromsaid 1 preventing escape'of electrolyte therefrom in inverted position thereof comprising i atubula'r extension projecting from* the bottom `downwardly into.V said wall. ot said second casing first casing.

6. The' combination and structure denned in claim' 3. together with a'longitudinal partition.

for dividing the interior of saidnrst casing into.

two battery cells, a longitudinallyextending partition in the bottom chamberof said second casing iorming'ventcells iilled ywith said absorbentl packing, and vtubular members projecting from the bottom wall of said rst casing downwardly into said battery cells for communication with A said vent cells.

7. The combination and. claim 3, together with a vent opening in the wall or said second casing` above thecontact .mea therein for Ventilating said casing.

'f f swam znANsKY.

operative contact means in said structure deilned in 

